Welcome to the 2025 programme of family friendly events, which complement the Seaford Natural History Society Tuesday programme.
Here is slightly more detail of each of the events in this programme, including information about the terrain. We have given What3Words, Grid Reference and Post Code for the starting point of each event.
Please note there is a charge of £3.00 per adult for walks, but children and members of Seaford Natural History Society attend for free. If you are thinking of coming on a number of these walks, then it may be advantageous to join the Natural History Society.
Saturday 25th January at 1000hrs Walk: Winter walk up the Cuckmere Valley
It is surprising how much is growing or creeping and crawling about – even in the depth of winter. We will walk through part of Friston Forest and then a short way up the Cuckmere River, searching for signs of life. Whilst this is a walk on the level, the ground is uneven and at this time of year it is bound to be very muddy. Wellies are definitely advised. We are likely to spot birds so bring binoculars, and a notepad and pen might be useful to note down the plants and insects that we may find. If you are coming by car then park in the second car park on the Littlington Road W3W// cabs.conforms.lotteries. TQ 517 002. Post code BN25 4AJ – a fee is charged. If you are coming on the No. 12 bus, get off at the Country Park and walk about 1km on the Littlington Road until you reach the second car park.
Saturday 22nd February at 1000 Walk: Village Nature Trail. We propose to wander round the small village of Bishopstone looking for plants, insects and birds. Our walk in January will have shown us what is visible in the countryside, now we will be looking in a village environment, where perhaps the houses may offer shelter for more plants to grow and more insects to be active. Whilst some of the walk will be on paved roads we will also deviate into fields and even up rutted lanes, so suitable footwear will be needed. We will meet on the road next to the path to Bishopstone Church. If you are coming by car, please park considerately and try to car share where possible. The nearest bus stop is about 2km away on the A259. W3W// critic.prospered.river. TQ 473 010. Post code N25 2UD.
Saturday 29th March at 1000hrs. Walk: An Urban Nature Trail around Seaford Our first two walks of 2025 have taken us into the countryside and into a tiny village. Now in March we will look at whether the larger urban environment of Seaford is conducive to nature. The walk will look at all aspects of the natural history of Seaford, including the geology and development of its landscape. The weather should be warming up and we would expect to find a good number of plants; the birds should also be active. If the weather is kind we might even find a number of insects on the wing. We will meet at the bus stop by Seaford Station. W3W//softest.silks.easygoing. TV 481 991. Post code BN25 2AR.
Saturday 26th April at 1000hrs. Pond Dipping at Blatchington Pond: We will be joining The Friends of Blatchington Pond for a spot of Pond Dipping. This pond has been in existence for a very long time and so hopefully the wildlife will be well established and we should be able to find and identify a number of creatures. There is on-road parking near the pond, along Sutton Drove. The nearest bus stop is very close by (No, 12a) and the 12x is only a few minutes walk away. W3W// mercy.milky.resources . TV 435 995. Post code BN25 1UA
Saturday 31st May at 1000hrs. Walk: Orchids in Last Wood. Many residents of Seaford are not aware of this area and yet it is a haven for nature. We will explore the wooded area and the open grassland in the hope of finding the orchids that were numerous last year. We will also be looking for other spring flowers, birds and insects. If the weather is kind then this will be a lovely time of year to visit this special area. The area is not large and you won’t be walking far, but the terrain can be uneven. We will meet at the small Lay-by on the right-hand side as the Alfriston road reaches the edge of Seaford. Parking is rather limited so if you can come by bus (12A) it would be ideal, and the bus stop is only a short walk from the wood. W3W// captions.magnetic.prevents. TQ502 005. Post code BN25 3AB.
Saturday 27th June at 2200hrs. Walk: Wildlife in the dark This is a rare opportunity to do a nature walk in the dark. Our primary objective is to see if we can find the Glow Worms that we know have been seen at the back of Seaford Beach in previous years. Whilst we are out in the dark, we will also use a bat detector to see what is flying overhead, and we will run a moth trap to complete our trio of nocturnal creatures. There is a serious safety warning for this walk. It will be very dark, and the terrain will be difficult so please don’t attempt it if you are at all uncertain of your balance ability. You must bring a torch and wear shoes that support your ankles. We will meet at the Buckle Car Park at the Western end of Marine Parade, Seaford. W3W// contain.fatherly.appealed. TV469 996. Post code BN25 2QR. From the car park we will walk past the Sailing Club and then along the bank at the back of the beach, towards Tide Mills. It should be magical!
Saturday 26th July at 1000hrs. Event: Life in the Graveyard. We propose to run a mini Bioblitz in St Leonard’s Churchyard, Seaford. This is right in the centre of the town, but we are hoping it will prove to be a haven for wildlife. Our aim will be to identify and record as many plants, insects and birds as we can in a two-hour period. Our findings will be passed onto the church as they are keen to know if their churchyard is attracting nature. Meet at the Churchyard, W3W// detergent.will.exonerate . TV482 990. Post code BN25 1HG. Bring with you a notebook and pen so you can record what you see. A Smart Phone with an identification App such as iNaturalist or Obsidentify would be useful, but not essential.
Saturday 30th August at 1000hrs. Walk: Beachcombing for Nature. This is an exploration of the beach at low tide. We will start at The Shoal, Splash Point and investigate the beach, looking to find evidence of marine life and even some specialist plants that live on the shingle. Whilst the terrain is fairly flat, the back of the beach is rough in places and walking on shingle is challenging. Parking should be easy, but there is no public transport along the seafront so the nearest bus stop is in the town, on the A259. Meet at The Shoal, near Splash Point. W3W//refrain.slanting.unable. TV488 982. Post code BN25 1JH.
Saturday 27th September at 1000hrs. Walk: Natures Harvest. At the end of the summer, many species of plants will have produced seeds and started to die back. The focus of our walk is to look at the various seed heads and fruits that are in evidence in autumn. There will be a great variety of shapes and styles, and it may be a challenge to identify all of them, but it will be interesting. We will walk from the Car Park at South Hill Barn, down towards Hope Gap, investigating the plants on the main path but also on the two small rides that run parallel to it. There will be a mixture of terrain including some very uneven and steep ground and the brambles make a wonderful trip hazard. Meet at South Hill Barn Car Park. W3W// eternally.crabmeat.move. TV 504 980. Post code BN25 4JQ.
Saturday 25th October at 1000hrs. Walk: Bird Watching in the Cuckmere Valley. At this time of year there are not so many flowering plants and insects to observe, but hopefully the birds will still be present. We expect that whilst the summer migrants will have left our shores, other birds will have arrived to winter here. We will mainly be looking at the birds that are attracted to the meanders and the river. Our walk will be leisurely, passing down the Cuckmere Valley but probably not reaching the sea. We will have some walking on the concrete track, but will also deviate across the grass to the water’s edge, so it is likely to be muddy. Meet at the Seven Sister’s Country Park, Riverside Car Park W3W// supposes.waddle.pheasants. TV 518 994. Post code BN25 4AD. All the number 12 buses stop at the Country Park.
Friday 28th November at 1600hrs. Activity: Nature under a microscope. For our only indoor session of the year, we will be using microscopes to look at various species. This is a repeat of the popular session we held in 2024 though this year we will be investigating different species. As we will be making use of the facilities at Seaford Head School on Arundel Road, we have had to schedule this session in the early evening on Friday 28th as the School is not open on Saturdays. We hope you will be able to join us at this unusual time. The session will end by 1800hrs. The session will focus on the use of monocular microscopes, not only to look at cells ‘the building blocks of life’, but also some single celled organisms, algae and mosses – Meet at the clearly signposted Main Entrance of the school on Arundel Road and park on site, W3W// king.skim.nourished. TV 495 988. Post code BN25 4LY. The nearest number 12 bus stop is on Manor Road, grid ref TV 496 993.
Seaford Natural History Society
